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Recipe Detail Page
Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Pork with Mango
Autumn 2024
The Chinese family of sweet-and-sour dishes goes back millennia. The modern, Westernized version is one of the most popular takeout dishes, though some versions can be heavy on the sugar and food dye. This recipe brings some heat to the equation and swaps in mango for pineapple. Bonus: It’s a rare stir-fry that can easily be doubled—see the TIP below.
Serves 4
SAUCE
1/4 cup (60 mL) ketchup
1/4 cup (60 mL) cider vinegar
3 tbsp (45 mL) packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) sriracha sauce
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) cornstarch
STIR-FRY
1 lb (455 g) trimmed pork loin from rib end or
tenderloin, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks
Salt to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125 mL) cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (125 + 15 mL) canola oil, divided
1 bunch green onions, trimmed, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 tsp (10 mL) minced garlic
2 tsp (10 mL) minced ginger
1 fresh red finger chili, thinly sliced into rounds
1 firm-ripe Ataulfo mango, cut into chunks, about 1 cup (250 mL)
Cilantro leaves to garnish
Steamed jasmine rice for serving
1. For the sauce, whisk all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
2. For the stir-fry, place pork in a mixing bowl and season with salt. Mix in egg then mix in 1/4 cup (60 mL) cornstarch with your hands until meat is coated with a sticky batter. Place remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) cornstarch in a large freezer bag.
Add pork, seal and shake, squishing to separate the pieces, until coated. (Don’t worry about them looking uneven or ugly. It won’t matter once they’re cooked and covered with sauce.)
3. Heat 1/2 cup (125 mL) oil in a large, heavy-duty, nonstick frying pan over high heat. Quickly but carefully, add pork one piece at a time. Cook, flipping once, until brown, crisp and slightly underdone, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Lower heat as necessary, probably at the time you flip. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
4. Carefully drain off oil and wipe pan clean. Add remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and return pan to medium-high. Add green onions, garlic, ginger and chili. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add sauce. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium. Add pork. Stir until coated with sauce then stir in mango. Cook until mango is just heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.
Serves 4
TIP To double the recipe, use a large pot and cook the meat in three batches in Step 3. Once the meat is done, the method is the same, just with double the amounts.
